New head of National Mediation Board named

The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced Monday that Linda A. Puchala has been named chair of the board, effective July 1. Gerald Fauth III and Kyle Fortson remain as board members. Puchala was confirmed as an NMB member by the United States Senate on May 21, 2009. She has been chair of the NMB for…


July 2nd 2019
Safe Freight Act two-person crew bill introduced in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) — U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced the Safe Freight Act, (S.1979) legislation that would promote rail safety by mandating at least two-person crews on all freight trains in the United States. The bill is designed to correct the Federal Railroad Administration’s rollback in May…


June 26th 2019
U.S. House acts to block LNG transport by rail

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, June 24, passed an amendment that would block President Donald Trump’s Executive Order in April to the Department of Transportation to fast-track the allowance of liquid natural gas (LNG) to be transported by rail. “In its never-ending quest to put profit ahead of people, the Trump administration is…


Judge dismisses shareholder suit against CSX

A Florida judge has dismissed a lawsuit that three CSX shareholders had filed last summer against the carrier regarding the 2017 hiring of late CEO E. Hunter Harrison. The matter was settled by Virginia state law, which required that the suit be dismissed after a committee of “disinterested” CSX board members determined that the suit,…


June 25th 2019
President Previsich testifies before House subcommittee

SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich testifies Thursday afternoon before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials to testify on the state of the railroad workforce. Rather than use his prepared written testimony, he delivered…


June 20th 2019